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More FARMHOUSE Delivery Goodness! – Part 2

The Butternut Squash. We have been receiving a lot of this lately, but in small quantities. I read that they keep for a good while, so I waited until I had enough to make a good batch of soup.

After reading through lots of recipes, I decided to create my own recipe using several of the ideas I found during my research.

First, I knew that I did not want to mess with peeling the squash, so I cut them in half, cleaned out the seeds, rubbed them with some butter, seasoned them with salt and pepper, then turned them upside down in a glass baking dish and cooked them at 400F for about an hour. ( Oh my, that was quite the run-on sentence.) Take cooked squash out of the oven and cool.

While the squash is cooking, chop up some onion (I had ½ of an onion in the fridge, so that is what I used). You could also add garlic. I forgot this time around. Saute in olive oil until soft and transparent.

At this point, add your flavors. I had fresh sage, so I chopped up a tablespoon or so and added that. Next, I added fresh thyme – it is so much fun to run your fingers down the branches to release the cute, little leaves! I also had a small chunk of ginger, so I peeled that and grated it into the onions.

When the onions have cooked for 10-15 minutes, scoop the cooled squash out of the skin and add to the onion mixture.

Next comes the adding of liquid. I thought I had chicken broth on hand – wrong. Therefore, I used what was available in my fridge – about ¾ cup of beef broth and some apple juice. I added only a ½ cup or so of juice at first.

Now to create the perfect texture. I wanted my soup to be finely pureed, but not runny. I tossed it all in a blender and pureed. It was still pretty thick at this time. Then I put it back in the pot. Now I could add apple juice until I reached the desired texture.

At this point, it is ready to be taste tested by your “significant other.”

I was pretty pleased with the outcome. This lovely Butternut Squash soup definitely deserved to be plated in our china soup bowls (which don’t get used enough). I added a small scoop of mascarpone cheese and a sprinkle of roasted pumpkin seeds.

I forgot to mention that I fried a few sage leaves in the hot olive oil prior to adding the chopped onions. Marc would probably agree that although the “Add-ons” made the dish prettier, and added a surprise of texture from spoonful to spoonful, they certainly were not necessary. The soup definitely was the star, rich, creamy (with NO addition of any milk product) and full of flavor. This will probably be on the menu the next time we host friends for dinner. Who’s coming over?

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2 thoughts on “More FARMHOUSE Delivery Goodness! – Part 2”

Debra, your cooking is inspiring! You have been one busy chef lately. Marc shared some of your apple spice cake and it was divine! I have a good veggie stew that features cubed butternut squash that I discovered last year and it was a big hit at my house. I want to try your soup next.